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Bryan Bledsoe, D.O.

The RescuerOccupation: Physician How he makes a difference: Warning against the dangers of helicopter evacuations

Imagine you or someone close to you needs emergency medical evacuation. But instead of being relieved when the EMS helicopter lifts off, you feel the danger level rise. "It's equivalent in risk to flying in combat or fishing for king crab off the Alaskan coast," says Bryan Bledsoe, D.O., a 53-year-old Texan who specializes in dispelling myths in emergency medicine.

This past summer has been particularly buffeting. Not only could 2008 be one of the worst years ever for medical-chopper crashes (17 deaths as of June), but Dr. Bledsoe also lost six friends in 4 years to such accidents. Although that'll forever taint any victory he might achieve, it finally looks like the FAA may endorse stricter regulations—something he's been advocating since 2002.